Monday, February 9, 2009

Ex-servicemen return medals to President





Photos by Col TN Baba

BS Reporter / New Delhi February 09, 2009, 0:57 IST
An ex-serviceman, who once served in the Dogra Regiment and retired as a Subedar of the Indian Army, walked up to a “collection box” placed at the capital’s Jantar Mantar, and deposited his prized possessions — his military medals. And he was not alone. Around 250 soldiers, including officers, deposited their military medals as a mark of protest against pension anomalies. The medals, were returned to President Pratibha Patil, the commander-in-chief of the Indian armed forces, at Rashtrapati Bhavan today.

Gathering under the aegis of the Indian Ex-Servicemen Movement (IESM), the ex-servicemen are disillusioned since their demand for “one-rank, one-pension” (OROP) has not been implemented by the government. The ex-soldiers’ demand under the OROP is: “Two individuals retiring after equal length of service and from the same rank must get equal pension.”

The Pay Commission’s recommendations for a hike in pension for retiring armed forces personnel did not have retrospective effect. The IESM said that a Havildar who retired before January 1, 2006 would receive Rs 5,239 as pension, but a Havildar retiring in 2006 or thereafter would receive Rs 8,030. Similarly, a Brigadier’s pension would be Rs 26,150 or Rs 31,170 depending on whether he retired before or during/after 2006.

The disparity manifests not just between pensioners of the same rank, but between pensioners of different ranks. For example, a Havildar, who is of a higher rank than a Sepoy, would draw Rs 5,008 pension if he retired before 1996. His pension would be 37 per cent lesser than the pension of a Sepoy (Rs 6,860) who retired in 2006.

Wing Commander (retired) C K Sharma, who was overseeing the collection of the returned medals, said the IESM had been holding a hunger strike since December 16, 2008, but the government had been indifferent to its views.

Speakers who addressed the hundreds of soldiers at the IESM rally today, said ex-servicemen had been given a raw deal, considering that the OROP's equivalent principle was applicable to parliamentarians, members of the state legislators and judges. Civil servants with designations of secretaries, special secretaries and other senior posts were also beneficiaries under the provision of 'fixed salaries', said an IESM statement.

Political parties have taken note of the demands made by ex-servicemen, but it has remained in the election manifestos only. The Congress, too, listed OROP in its manifesto for the 2004 elections, but the United Progressive Alliance government has not addressed this issue, said a retired Army officer. Highlighting the plight of jawans, he said a recommendation that jawans, who usually retire in their mid-30s, could be given lateral entry into the paramilitary forces or the police has also been rejected by the Centre.
Ex-servicemen return medals to President

New Delhi, Feb 8 (IANS) More than 300 retired soldiers of varying ranks Sunday marched to the Rashtrapati Bhavan and returned medals won in combat and for distinguished service as they sought equal pension for each rank. The veterans were among the thousands who had gathered earlier in the day at the Jantar Mantar observatory in the heart of the capital for a protest that some said marked a black day for the Indian armed forces.

President Pratibha Patil did not personally receive the medals, which were collected by some of her officials.

“Our main demand is ‘one rank one pension’. As a mark of protest we are returning the medals to the president. A soldier wears his medal with pride but we are left with no choice,” former army deputy chief Lt. Gen. Raj Kadyan told IANS. The president is supreme commander of the armed forces.

Kadyan held the Param Vishisht Seva Medal, the Ati-Vishisht Seva Medal and the Vishisht Seva Medal — all of which he surrendered Sunday.

The soldiers, who also included three-star generals, marched under the banner of the Indian Ex-servicemen’s Movement (IEM).

The march was led by Shiksha Bharadwaj, mother of Captain Umang Bharadwaj. Her son was killed by terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir in 2002 and he was posthumously awarded Shaurya Chakra.

Umang’s father, Col Kanwal Bharadwaj, a Sena Medal winner, accompanied her and other former soldiers.

“When you are not able to meet two ends, the medal is of no consequence,” Col Bharadwaj said. “The government did not pay any heed to our demand. We had to take this step.”

The main demand of the protestors is that irrespective of the date on which a soldier retires, he or she should get the same pension.

An army sepoy who retired before 1996 gets a monthly pension of Rs.3,670. But one who retired between 1996 and December 2005 gets Rs.4,680. A sepoy who retired after January 2006 gets Rs.8,700.

Effectively then, an army havildar, who retired earlier, gets pension money that is less than that of a sepoy retiring after January 2006 though the havildar enjoys a higher rank. The mismatch applies to all ranks.

“Most IAS (Indian Administrative Service) officers, judges, governors, MPs and even the president enjoy this right (of one rank one pension),” pointed out one retired soldier.

The government has rejected the ‘one rank one pension’ demand, saying that it will entail huge financial costs.
Ex-servicemen return gallantry medals over pension: The Hindu

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